Turmeric Benefits: Health Uses & Anti-Inflammatory Properties

HI. I notice everyone talking about using turmeric powder, but I'm really curious about using fresh turmeric. Is there better bio-availability from fresh? If so, how much fresh should I use compared with powdered herb?

I guess this question leads me into other questions about herbs as well. My intuition tells me that I'm generally better off using fresh if and when I can. Am I correct in thinking this?

Also, I get that some herbs are not necessarily water soluble, so would be more effective in a carrier medium. I'm not opposed to making my own tinctures. I'm guessing that with fresh herbs, the oil/water solubility thing is less of an issue. But in the use of dried, how do I determine which herbs are better used as a tea, and which as a tincture? I realize that this is a pretty big question, and maybe I should have broken it down into 3 or 4.... Does anyone know where to find this type of information, other than years and years of study?

(I'm having terrible allergies after relocating form across the country to a totally different climate, and kind of wanted a quick answer about turmeric, but this leads into my general questions about herbs, so I had to ask....)

Thanks!

Our 2 year old suffers from boils on his bottom. Very sore and aggressive. Read about turmeric and it works! I put some calendula cream on bandaid and then sprinkle on the turmeric tape it on over night and I see improvement over night. They shrink and dry out. Takes about 3 - 4 days of application, but they have always gone. I also give him turmeric in warm rice milk ( and cinnamon too ). He loves this.

Tumeric has been used for years and years in India. It is one of the main spicies in cooking. It does, however, have a bitter strange taste when taken on it's own. To treat an inflamation that I have, I am now using tumeric (half teaspoon) in a half a glass of grape juice. So far it's working wonders :) And the taste is disguised completely.

I must say.... I have been taking tumeric during my period and I have never had so much thick clotting and blood. I would not suggest it. The only reason I was taking it was to reduce inflammation from the adjustment. It happened to be the same time as my period.... Stay clear during your period. You don't need any extra detoxification during your period anyway. Our bodies natural cleansing process will be all we need during the menstral cycle.

I am using Turmeric powder with honey for my cough and astama for last two months. My cough as well as my astama has very much subsided. However, I have developed mouth ulcers and stomach feels always bloated. Now I am taking B complex for mouth ulcers. I strongly believe the mouth ulcers are formed due to consumption of turmeric powder as my husband aslo has doveloped the same after using turmeric powder. This is for the information of all readers of earth clinic. Deepti.

Turmeric has changed my life in just 2 weeks! I have had extremely painful arthritis of the hands for about 2 years, that prevented me from sewing, gardening, housework, many things I previously enjoyed. I could barely hold a book or a glass. I started taking 1 tsp of turmeric root powder a day which I put into empty capsules I bought at the health food store and it is an absolute miracle! The pain is 80 -90% gone. I have strength back in my hands and can do normal activities again.

Another plus is a scalp condition I have had for about 20 years seems to have cleared up completely! All this after only two weeks of taking turmeric root powder!

I do not take turmeric inside - but use cream: it contains turmeric and other herbs and is very helpful in joint pain relieving.

In answer to Whitters fror Yorkshire, I was wondering if you took your Turmeric with either EV Coconut oil or olive oil, an avacado and ant other fat. It is 100% soluble and I started the use of Turmeric for stomach issues while titrating from the Benzodiazapine Klonopine and now to Valium. I would want to throw up and was sweating from the nausea. The Turmeric with a spoon of Coconut oil took the pain away and then I found it is marvelous for the brain and a miriad of ailments. Arabic Turmeric is too spicy for me and I think East Indian is much more mild. I cap my own. Try with oil and see if there is a positive change.

You can also use Sea Salt to eliminate bacteria and brighten your teeth. You know it works when people begin asking you what you are doing because your teeth are lighter now.

I have recently been putting powdered turmeric on the front part of my tongue w/ black pepper then washing it down. I couldn't stand it as a drink. Almost no taste doing it this way!

My friend shrimps in the gulf around Florida, both himself and many others on the boat keep developing huge boils on several parts of their bodies (forearms and legs mostly). They are convinced it's from the "fish" they handle. I've seen info online (very little) about sea water boils aka saltwater boils. Supposedly caused by the enclosed arms of the rubber coats and the large amounts of fish goo on the rubbers that come in contact with the skin at some point. In the case of shrimpers I also saw something that says they are caused from handling the sludge from the bottom that comes up in the nets with the catch. (A shrimper manually digs through all the seaweed and thus also comes into contact with the sludge out of the nets. )

I'm glad I found this, going to try the turmeric for him... He's been getting antibiotics for them but I'm a huge believer in staying natural and avoiding western medicine if you can, especially in the case of antibiotics which tend to have diminishing effect as the problem critters get immune to it. He believes same, he's into a lot of Chinese medicine but didn't know of anything for boils right off. Just an FYI: a historical fact to file away. Turmeric was used as a yellow die in the middle ages in Europe and probably other parts of the world as well. The spice came over the trading routes (I don't think it was ever cultivated anywhere in Europe). Due to the imported nature of turmeric it was as expensive if not more expensive, than the tyrian shelfish dyes (red, yellow, purple depending upon mordanting and if it was an exhaust dye), from the vicinity of Greece. So that... Ladies & gents, is why your skin goes yellow when you use it. I've had bad skin most of my life and allergies, especially sinus infections around weather change (summer to winter). I was using nettle for the sinuses but since someone figured out it's great for urinary tract issues the price of the tincture has gone from 3 bucks a bottle to 16 bucks a bottle in the US. I'm going to try out the turmeric myself. I can get a pound of powder on ebay for about 6 bucks plus shipping (sounds like a bargain but I'll check the local health food store first). Great site, glad I found it.

Turmeric is amazing. It is very anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, antivirial, plain and simple it's one of the best things you can add to your diet to improve your health. The best way to take turmeric is to put 1 tsp of turmeric in a glass of water about 1 cup. Add the juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed so that you get the anions from the lemon (very important) as this alkalizes you rapidly. Then add 1 tlbspn of unsulphered Blackstrap molasses which is full of minerals. I sweeten this with the Now brand of stevia extract. This stevia is non imflamatory and is the only one I recommend for this drink as it is safe and non toxic, plus it makes the drink taste much better. One more thing that you should add on the side is kelp. Laminaria digitata is the best kelp to use. This is an amazing drink that will change your life. It will energize you and it will heal you. You can and should drink it for once or twice a day for the rest of your life. Their turmeric is high quality and easy on the budget. Good luck and once you feel the energy from this drink, I hope you recommend it to your family and friends to help their health as well.

I just want to pass on something about turmeric that I read in David Servan-Schreiber's book _Anti-Cancer_ (pages 134-137). According to Dr Servan-Schreiber the research on turmeric suggests that is far more readily absorbed if it is dissolved in oil, and further if it is mixed with black pepper (! ).

Briana, Thank you for your recipe! ! I just started taking BSM a couple of days ago and did not know how I was going to continue with it because the taste is so strong it makes me gag. All I could think of when I consumed it was burnt rubber. . . Yuck! I tried your recipe and it was actually pretty good and quite enjoyable. . . Much, much more tolerable than taking it straight. Peace, Love and Health to you!

I have been suffering with pain in my right hip for a few years. It started out being on and off and gradually got be constant. It hurt to get up from a chair, going up and down stairs and just walking. I was developing a limp. Funny though, it actually bothered me less if I was extremely active. I found that turmeric and ginger work like magic. Every morning I have a hot cup of organic green tea to which I add 1 tsp. Virgin coconut oil, 2 tsp. Honey, 1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp. Powdered ginger, a dash of black pepper and about 1/8 tsp. Of cayenne pepper. I read on EARTH CLINIC that those peppers help the efficacy of the spices. It's amazing, I have no pain in my hip. By the way, my daughter cured herself of classic fibromyalgia symptoms by following advice from EARTH CLINIC. This website is invaluable.

THE PROBLEM
Last week my wife's sister was visiting us from New Jersey. Somehow she must have eaten something that didn't agree with her and she got Diarrhea. She suffered with it for a couple of hours. Then, finally told us (my wife and I) about it.

WHAT WE DID
I simply said to her, let's try some tumeric. I have seen that work before for diarrhea, maybe it will work for you too.

We mixed half a tsp of tumeric into about a 5 ounce glass of water. I told her to mix it well with the teaspoon and then drink fast as it tends to quickly settle on the bottom.

"It tastes like dirt!" she said. "It isn't that bad!" I retorted with a chuckle. Then she drank about another 3-4 ounces of water as a chaser.

THE RESULTS
About 2 hours later we heard some good news from my sister-in-law. No more diarrhea! She was most impressed (and not to mention relieved!) that a simple herb could help - and fast!

Ok, that's it, just 1/2 a tsp of tumeric and 2 hours later - relief! Hope this info. helps someone else.

Cheers.

P.S. We used organic tumeric in powdered form.

Hi I'm a 61 year old nurse. I have just discovered the magic of Turmeric whilst in India. Use it as soon as cold symptoms arise you can quickly nip a cold.

For the onset of a sore throat, take 1/4 tsnp of organic Turmeric (no fillers) and swallow. Do not eat or drink for 20 min, repeat up to 3 x day until eased. Should only need to do it once or twice.

For a clear runny nose take 1/2 tspn in a glass of warm water 1/2 hour before meals 2x day for 2 days. It will dry the nose As a general tonic use as a condiment in cooking.

Hi Joyce,

Welcome back ! What is your opinion that oil is needed in order for the tumeric to be absorbed in the body?

Turmeric needs a good fat to be absorbed in the body.That being said, as a daily preventive protocol I take the following: 2-tsps. turmeric powder with 1/2-1 tsp. of cayenne pepper & mix into 1/2 glass of coconut milk,(not the water). If you cannot tolerate the heat add apple juice or eat an apple after drinking.The cayenne potentizes the turmerics' effect by 400 times.There is an abundance of research data on these items on the net.The coconut milk that I use is 100% & no preservatives, full fat content, purchased from asian markets. There is a new product out in some health food stores that is coconut kefir which is a good idea, however it contains carageenan which is used to stimulate the growth of cancer cells in lab experiments! It is used in many food items as a thickener.This data from a noted neurosurgeon turned nutritionist. By the way, the standard white mushrooms which include the brown crimini & portobello, contain a substance which cannot be removed by cooking, that is used to grow tumors in lab research. This data from a renowned mycologist whose book on fungi is used in some colleges as a textbook, although the cancer reference in not mentioned in the book, the author mentioned this at a seminar & he consequently was threatened for divulging this info.

Hi Deirdre, Haven't been on EC much lately but have been finding things of interest to EC'ers. Here's one on Curcumin.

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/curcumin/

The section on Alzheimer's could prove to be a Godsend, because it reads that it does both prevent and reverse the damage in the brain. Couple this with niacin and vitamin C therapy and it should be a winner and all relatively cheap. With the right information and access to the nutrients needed (which is why it is so important to fight the FDA placing the Codex Alimentarius on us) we can outsmart those who would reduce our numbers.

If anyone wants information on where to obtain the turmeric (I think my 3 or 4 lb bag was in the $5-6 range). For those of you who don't like drinking healthy but foul tasting stuff, you can obtain empty capsules and fill them yourself. The filling equipment is usually available from the same ones who have the empty caps for sale.